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Show The Tfuuuferfiirif Monday, November 7, 1383 Page 13 Angela WinterroSe as C hairy Bamum combines common sense with magical wonder as she leads the Bamum clowns in One Brick at a Time. Bamum bursts with colorful, dazzling fun Theatre review by Fletcher Matson Phineas Taylor Bamum that name has long stood for showmanship and glamour of the highest sort, wonder, magic and sparkle exciting enough to change even the most jaded sophisticate into a little kid again with just a handful of glitter and a little humbug. Fred C. Adams evokes just that kind of d splendor with Bamum, the opening musical for the SUSC Theatre Arts 25th season. The Broadway circus extravaganza by Cy Coleman, Mark Bramble and Michael Stewart not only commanded the entire Auditorium but spilled into the theatre lobby in the form of a menagerie featuring Madame Neptune, a replica of Barnums famous Fiji Mermaid; Gerda, the Bearded Lady; a trio of shimmying belly dancers, a fierce strong man, hawkers, vendors, a barker, an illustrated lecture of the life and times of P.T. Barnum, and, of course, clowns everywhere. The crowd, particularly the children, loved wide-eye- it. By the time the lights dimmed and the band started up, the audience was ready, willing and eager for the electrically energetic performance that followed. Randall S. Hickman fairly glowed as the legendary Prince of Humbug. Magnetic, energetic and possessing a fine flair for broad theatricality, he literally dreamer. swung into the role of the Hickmans Barnum is a man who cannot sit still or live an ordinary life; he wants to bring dreams and Industrial Era magic to a creatively dull world, and if he has to embroider the truth a httle to do it, he fibs without meanness or exploitation. Chairy Barnum, played by Angela WinterroSe, is the perfect foil for Barnum. The show opens with a d y sparring match between the two over his humbug vs. her conviction for truth. Prim, proper and sensible, she is the stabilizing realist in his life that longs for a quiet, normal life but supports her flamboyant husbands exhibitions with spunk and practicality. Although she starts out rather cold at first, she soon thaws to a softer, more appealing character and the plays quieter moments between WinterroSe and Hickman developed a believable affection. The play itself centers around Barnums colorful existence. In The Colors of My Life, Barnum explains his need for Kelley green, buttercup yellow sometimes drab and fire engine red to his wife who doesnt understand why she married a man who wants to give the world a paint job. The stage is almost continually awash in a huge spectrum of emotional color, either blazing spotlights e and crazy, patterns or muted, dusky shadows during the shows few downhearted moments. Even stark neutrals seem expressive during Barnums period of respectability when he gives up his brash lifestyle for Chairy s sake and tries to live his life in Black and White. That doesnt last long. Chairy lets him use a little color to win the mayoral election and he eventually winds up in the middle of the brightest, boldest, most colorful visual feast he has ever seen in his stupendous career: The Barnum and Baily Circus. Sandra Stiglinski has outdone herself again. Every costume is an expressive statement for its wearer, from Chairys plain browns and gray silks to the showgirls glitzy tutus. The circus scenery recalled all the dash and flavor of carnival, right down to the an authentic patriotic bunting and ornate trapeze complete with electric lights. J'lene Hansen has done an excellent job as vocal earth-tone- down-costum- y director. The clown chorus rang strong and clear in all its ensembles, while Jolyn Spencer as Jenny Lind, the Swedish Nightingale, reached high notes that could shatter crystal. Tiya Coleman belted out a wonderful bluesy number as the jazz singer, although she did have some volume trouble as Joice Heth, the woman. , The shows major problem seemed to be the audio system. The technicians still havent worked all of the bugs out of the Auditoriums recently installed, new sound system and a few musical numbers suffered, although not irreparably. Giles Gohier as General Tom Thumb sounded raspy when he could be heard at all, and the circus band, directed by C. David Nyman, well played though it was, often overrode portions of several songs. This didnt happen often enough to ruin the show, but it was noticeable. Any other production flaws were very minor: there was a bit of backstage noise as the crew prepared for Barnums tightrope walk. Speaking of tightropes, Stunt Coordinator Douglas Baker has packed magic tricks, rope slides and trampoline jumps in every corner. Jenny Lind even e twirl 10 feet above the stage in the does a finale. In perhaps the most memorable scene, Barnum loses his balance on the high wire and falls as he makes his precarious wav to the waiting lennv, with whom hes infatuated. He tries again, with the audience waiting tensely and makes it. The audience applauded wildly and the company burst into cheers after the intermission curtain dropped. That enthusiastic support typified the entire eve ung This cast pulls together with a charisma that ties .ill the characters and events into a strong, cohesive unit that reaches for and gets the right audience response it the right time. fast-rop- |